Liquid-phase electron microscopy for probing dynamic process

眼见为实。数百年来，人类一直在不断寻求新技术，以扩大我们的视野，看到太远或太小而无法解决的事情。16世纪发明的光学显微镜可以观察到亚微米级的物体。电子显微镜最早是在1931年发明的，使用电子来探测物体，后来发展到能够测量物理、化学和微观结构信息，直至原子水平。电子显微镜通常在高真空中进行，这样只有电子束与样品相互作用。然而，越来越多的科学研究对浸在纳米尺度液体中的材料的结构和动态过程感兴趣，并可以选择增加额外的刺激，如加热、电流或光照。

Seeing is believing. For hundreds of years, human beings have been on a continuous quest of new technologies that expands our visions to see things either too far away or too small to resolve. Light microscopes, invented in the 1500's, allowed observation of subjects down to sub-micrometer length scales. Electron microscopes, first constructed in 1931, using electrons to probe an object, have since advanced to be able to measure physical, chemical and microstructural information down to the atomic-level. Electron microscopy is conventionally carried out in high vacuum such that only the electron beam interacts with sample. Yet a fast-growing range of scientific research is interested in structure and dynamic processes of materials immersed in liquid at the nanometer length scale, with the option of adding additional stimuli such as heating, electrical current, or light illumination. This project aims to develop and optimize novel technologies for carrying out liquid-phase electron microscopy and correlative microscopy studies in scanning electron microscope (SEM). In order to study materials immersed in liquid, a robust, electronically-transparent liquid-cell is required for containing the specimen and it must integrate well with the operation and data collection of the SEM. We will also build a cryo SEM stage, which can lower the vapor pressure of the liquid. The proposed work will be carried out using the state-of-the art electron microscopy characterization tools at the Ontario Centre for the Characterisation of Advanced Materials at the University of Toronto. University of Toronto will collaborate with Hitachi High Technologies Canada Inc., a Toronto-based instruments distributor and manufacturer, and Norcada Inc., a MEMS technology company located in Edmonton, Alberta, for this project. This research will provide training for 2 graduate students and 2 undergraduate students. It will make a significant contribution to the development and commercialization of high valued-added technologies and products in Canada.